By: Alexandra Martinez, Follow South Jersey Intern
SOUTH JERSEY – When it comes to being a subject matter expert, Gen Z is likely not the first generation that comes to mind. However, social media might just be the exception.
Whether one decides to use it or not, social media has single-handedly changed the way humans interact, communicate, and connect with one another. From Myspace to Meta, the capabilities and impact of social media outlets has grown expeditiously. With algorithms so smart that they even seem to pick up on internal thoughts, social media consumers are never left hanging.
While some social media users prefer to use social media privately, sharing their life only with close friends and family, some make the decision to share more publicly. “Influencers,” a term that has taken on a new meaning through social media, are individuals who actively expand their reach and following, hoping to gain new job opportunities. An IAB study estimated that the commercial internet itself has created roughly 17 million jobs in 2020, numbers that do not include one of the labor force’s newest occupations, social media content creators and influencers.
What once was just a fun and exciting new way to keep up socially with your friends, is now a global network consisting of almost anything you can get your fingertips on. And who is taking the most advantage of it? Millennials and Gen Z.
Millennials and Gen Z have both grown up with the internet, and simultaneously with social media. The unique experiences, sense of belongingness, and connection to online groups of people are just a few reasons why these generations partake in mass amounts of digital content. Social media has successfully accomplished creating an entire untapped realm of existence possible, and for many, making it hard to not become engaged. Likewise, this existence doesn’t come without its own repercussions.
Though social media is a great tool creating access to infinite amounts of information and pathways, it is also infamous for contributing to the universal mental health war, specifically on Gen Z. The common saying that ‘too much of a good thing can be a bad thing,’ proves true in a 2022 study done by the McKinsey Health Institute revealing, “Gen Zers, on average, are more likely than other generations to cite negative feelings about social media. They are also more likely to report having poor mental health.”
The “how” Gen Z is using social media is just as important as the “why.” The McKinsey Health Institute noted differences between active and passive social media use, with passive use like scrolling, more closely associated with declining mental well-being. Though social media engagement rates remain higher among younger generations, Gen Z remains less likely to participate in active use, and more inclined to fall victim to countless hours of scrolling. This phenomenon goes to show that the style of social media use paired with the amount of time spent doing so, can determine what behaviors translate from on-screen to real-life.
However, despite the mental health crisis and concern for the seeming social media correlation, a growing number of Millenials and Gen Z are fighting the negative social media reputation by being active in a different way. Younger people, recognizing the power social media can kindle, are now taking stands and have decided to transform social media into a platform for activism and change.
Larissa May, a 29 year-old well-known influencer for students, recognizes both the power and detriment surrounding social media. May has stepped into her role as a digital-wellness advocate, lobbying for social media policy and encouraging teens to do the same through her nonprofit.
May, featured in the Wall Street Journal, focuses on providing youth an understanding of how their personal social media usage directly affects their “emotional health and digital habits.” Her non-profit, Half the Story, does not encourage “anti-tech” narratives, but rather seeks to teach management tactics and give control back to social media users.
Influenced by her own struggles with social media throughout high school and college, May has successfully prompted lawmakers to begin giving social media use the attention it deserves. At a Half the Story event, students became so inspired by May that a group of them asked to travel with her to California’s state capital, her place of residence, to meet with lawmakers about keeping kids safe on social media.
What seemed to be a double-edged sword for May, is a story she’s finding many others can closely resonate with. What started out as grounds for a struggling teen fighting the current of an unhealthy social media relationship, eventually turned into one of the most effective modes of practicing advocacy.
Her story is just one example of someone who chose to fight for what they’re passionate about by bringing it to light through social media. There are hundreds of thousands of individuals who are discovering and experiencing the same power of advocacy that can be channeled from intentional and action-based social media use.
A popular and emergent non-profit organization, Gen Z for Change, is the epitome of “young activists dedicated to empowering their generation through education and civic engagement. Previously started as TikTokForBiden, creator Aidan Kohn-Murphy who was only a senior in high school, tells Business Insider that he recognized the traction received from younger audiences on their social media and transformed his account post-election to continue influencing social awareness and change.
The power of social media is rapidly integrating into the world inspiring national and global change, but the change is also happening directly in surrounding local communities.
The NAACP New Jersey State Conference, is investing in their youth to inspire upcoming generations through the use of social media, and to close generation gaps hindering their outreach. Young members share that social media has allowed for a balance between incorporating generational viewpoints on important topics. Not only are they trying to encourage outside audiences to “get active,” from social media campaigns, but trying to send the message to those who may not understand, that activism posting has become a way of achieving all the same goals, just through different means.
The youth of NAACP in New Jersey are focusing on spreading awareness about its still segregated schools, implementing full African American history in those schools, and creating room for more college NAACP chapters. These individuals share “…the key to the NAACP’s future lies in attracting and grooming young activists,” which has widely been done through technology with social media presence and community.
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